Vessells, and to what place bound,—and you are to take espetiall care to inform yourselfe rightly the true names of the Vessells and their Masters, because many falacies haue been committed and fraud practiced by changing their names, and obtruding ficticious names.

11. You are to vse youre vtmost endeauors to collect the duty in money, and not in goods, and what of necessity you must take in goods, you are to endeauor to sell to the best aduantage, and you are to remit the money you shall receiue for the said dutyes, by good bills of exchange or in ready money, to Richard Kent, Esq., his Majestie's receiuer generall and cashier of his customes, or to the receiuer generall and cashier of his Majestie's customes, for the time being, residing in London, and to send duplicates of such bills of exchange to vs. And such goods as you cannot dispose of, you are to ship at the best conuenience and cheapest rates, and to consigne them to Gay Moleworth, Esq., his Majestie's Warehouse keeper in the Port of London, or to the warehouse keeper in the same port, for the time being, and you are to send duplicates of the enuoyces of all such goods.

12. You are at the end of every six months, videlicet, the 25th March, and the 29th of September in euery year, to make vp a general accompt of all the whole management of this business, and by the first opportunety of shipping send the same to vs together with your accompt current, and the ballance thereof either in moneye, bills or Goods, directed or consygned as aforesaid, and duplicates thereof by some other Ship, for fear of miscarriage.

13. And for the further aduantage of his Majestie's seruice and reuenue of Customes in this Kingdome, you are to informe yourselfe whether the following Lawes relating to the Plantation trade, as to so much thereof as is to be performed within the seuerall Collonyes of New England, bee put in effectuall execution; videlicet, the Act of Nauigation made in the 12th yeare of his Majestie's Reigne,the Act for regulating the Plantation trade made in the 22d and 23d yeares of his Majestie's Reigne,-the Act for encouragement of Trade made in the 15th yeare of his Majestie's Reigne, particularly for all Ships and Vessells that shall proceed to any of the Colonyes of New England

from this kingdome, the dominion of Wales or towne of Berwick vpon Tweed, whether Certificate be produced to the Gouenours of the respective Colonyes, or some person appointed by them to receiue the same from some Custome house of England, Wales, or Berwick, vnder the hands and Seales of the Customer, or patent Collector and Comptroller, or their Deputies, or the hand of the Commission Collector, or his Deputy, or two of them, that such Ship or Vessell hath giuen bond according to Lawe in the Port from whence she sayled, that in case she shall lade any of the Commodities, enumerated by those Lawes, the same shall be by such Ship brought to some Port of England, Wales, or Berwick, and there put on Shoare, and for such Ships or Vessells which shall come to your Plantation from any other port or place, which are by Lawe permitted to trade there, whither sufficient bond with one suretie, if giuen to the said Gouenour, or whome he appointes to receiue the same with condition that such Ship or Vessell shall bring all such of the said Goods or Commodities as she shall lade to England, Wales or Berwick only, or to England, Wales, or Berwick or some other of his Majestie's Plantations, and if contrary hearevnto, such Ship shall lade any of the said Commodities before such Certificate produced, or bond giuen as aforesaid, you are to take care that she be seized and prosecuted according to the said Act of Nauigation, and the Act for regulating the Plantation trade, and you are to vse your vtmost Care that the securities that are taken by the respective Gouernours in New England be of some sufficient, able persons and inhabitants of that Countrey, and you are not to permitt any Ship to load any of the enumerated Goods in any of his Majestie's Colonyes in New England, vpon anye Certificate of bond. haueing been giuen in Ireland, but in that case before they lade anye of the said Plantation Commodities they are to giue bond to the Gouernour, or Deputy Gouernour of the respectiue Colonyes of New England, in which such Ship is with good security as aforesaid, and for the better auoyding false and counterfeit Certificates, you are to admit of noe Certificate of any Ships haueing giuen bond, nor of anye Ships haueing discharged her lading in England, Wales, or Berwick, but such as shall come to you vnder the hand

and seale of the Customer, or Patent Collector and Comptroller, or their Deputyes, or the hand of the Commission Collector, or his Deputy, or two of them of the Port where they gaue bond or unladed respectiuely, we haueing required the said respectiue officers, both in the Port of London, and the out ports, to signe and seale such Certificates accordingly, and we herewith deliuer to you one of each of the Impressions for each Colonye in New England, for the better detecting of svch fraud.

14. You are to take notice, that although by the Act of Navigation, the word Ireland is inserted in the condition of the bond with England, Wales, or Berwick, and permission thereby giuen to bring the Plantation Commodities to Ireland as well as England, &c. Yet by the Act for better regulating the Plantation Trade, the word Ireland is wholly repealed, and the condition of all such bond must be to bring theire respectiue ladings to England, Wales, or Berwick only, or to England, Wales, or Berwick, or some of his Majestie's Plantations.

15. You are carefully to inform yourselfe whether anye of the commodities of the growth, production or manufacture of Europe are imported into any of the Colonyes in New England, other than such as shall be brought directly from this Kingdome, the dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick, and in such shipping and soe nauigated as by Lawe is directed, except Wine shipped or laden in the Medeiras or Western Islands, or Azores, of the growth of either of them,-seruants and horses shipped and taken in in Scotland or Ireland of the growth or production thereof respectiuely in Ships qualifyed and nauigated as aforesaid, and you are to be the more carefull in regard to the French trade, as to the principall commodities thereof with England is prohibited, and therefore that endeavours will be vsed to furnish the Plantations therewith by indirect wayes and means, and if any Ship or Vessell shall import any other commodities of the growth, production, or manufacture of Europe of which due proofe shall not be made that they were shipped and laden in some port of England, Wales, or Berwick, the same Ship or Vessell, is forfeited with her guns, tackle, apparell, &c.: and also all such European commodities which you are to take care be seized and prosecuted according to Lawe and his Majestie's Proclamation,

pursuant therevnto of the 24th Nouember, in the twentyseventh yeare of his Majestie's reign; (Copy whereof we herewith deliver to you), and you are to vse your vtmost diligence so as those matters be managed according therevnto, and to giue vs notice of any failure therein.

16. And for the preuention of fraud, you are further to inform yourselfe whether any Ship or Vessell coming to any of the Colonyes in New England, lade or vnlade any commoditie whatsoeuer, vntill the Master or Commander thereof shall first haue made known to the Gouernour, or Deputy Gouernour of such Colony, or whome he shall appoint to that purpose, the arriuall of such Ship or Vessell, with her name and the sirname of the Master, and have sheued him that she is an English built Vessell, or otherwise quallifyed and nauegated as aforesaid, and to deliuer to him, a true and perfect inuentory of her lading, together with the place or places where such Goods were taken in.

17. And for the better preuention of Ships trading in his Majestie's Colonyes in New England, which by Lawe ought not to trade there, and for preuenting the importation of European Goods thither, contrarye to Lawe, and also for preuenting Ships laden with the enumerated Plantation commodities going to Scotland or Ireland, or anye other parts, but to England, Wales, or Berwick, or to some other of his Majestie's Plantations,—you are with your Accompt which you are to send to vs euery six months, to transmit to vs also an Accompt of each Vessell, that during such six months hath entered inwards and outwards in the respectiue Colonyes in New England, according to the forme herewith deliuered to you.

18. In all cases where bond hath been giuen by anye Ship or Vessell to the Gouernour, or Deputy Gouernour, in anye of his Majestie's Colonyes in New England. If you can discouer and make proof that anye such Ship or Vessell hath discharged her Lading contrary to her bond, or that a conuenient time hath passed in expectation of the returne of a certificate, after vnlading, according to tenor of her bond, and that noe certificate is returned, you are to take care that the bond be put in process, and if a certificate be produced, you are well and carefully to examine such certificate as aforesaid.

19. You shall, after Lady Day in every yeare, giue vs an Accompt what Commodities and Manufacture are raysed and made in his Majestie's seuerall Colonyes in New England, and what Ships and Vessells doe belong to each of the said Colonyes, with their respective burthens, and to what Townes or Places they belong, and what nature, videlicit, whether Ships, Pinckes, Ketches, &c.: broad stern or narrow stearn, forecastle or noe forecastle, English built or foreign built, and what trade or trades to sea, are principally driven in each of the said Colonyes.

[About to introduce the Commission to Sir Edmund Andros, we would remark, that few events in our Colonial History, were regarded by our fathers with more intense anxiety, than the changes produced in their political concerns, by the administrations of Dudley and Andros. On the 15th of May, 1686, the Rose Frigate arrived with a commission from James II, for the former of these two persons, as President of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Narraganset. On the succeeding December 20th, the latter landed in Boston, and published his commission from the same monarch. This instrument gave him jurisdiction over the territory, just mentioned, with the addition of the Plymouth Colony. In a few days, it was applied to Rhode Island, and, the next year, to Connecticut. Under its authority, Sir Edmund subverted the foundations of our Charter government, and exhibited the spirit of his Royal Master in acts, which were considered exceedingly oppressive by a large majority of the Colonists. It served as the chief Constitutional law for New England, till it was succeeded by another in 1688, which was so extended as to embrace New York and New Jersey. And even when thus formally nullified, its influence lived, and its effects were widely realized. It was the stimulus, by which Andros pursued the course, that brought him to the overthrow of a sudden Revolution on the 18th of April, 1689. Thus connected with vicissitudes and relations of no ordinary character, as to the past condition and experience of our country, we have thought it desirable for such a document, to hold a place among the pages of our Collections. Pub. Com.]